The present invention relates to remote control units for locomotive and, more particularly, to remote control units for locomotives including display modules for displaying command information such as speed, throttle and brake setting information.
Economic constraints have led railway companies to develop portable units allowing a ground-based operator to remotely control a locomotive in a switching yard. The module is essentially a transmitter communicating with a trail controller on the locomotive by way of a radio link. Typically, the operator carries this module and can perform duties such as coupling, and uncoupling cars while remaining in control of the locomotive movement at all times. This allows for placing the point of control at the point of movement thereby potentially enhancing safety, accuracy and efficiency.
Typically, such remote control units include displays indicating the status of the commands being transmitted to the locomotive such as brake setting information, throttle setting information, speed setting information and so on. Generally, the display includes a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) associated to respective settings corresponding to brake setting information, throttle setting information or speed setting information. For example, a display indicating current brake setting information may include includes six indicators associated to the following brake settings: release; minimum; light; medium; full; charge. The indicators allow the system to display to the operator of the remote control unit 4 levels of the brake setting application (minimum; light; medium; full) in addition to the release and charge settings by turning the corresponding LED xe2x80x9cONxe2x80x9d while the other LEDs remain xe2x80x9cOFFxe2x80x9d.
A deficiency with displays of the type described above is that in order to indicate an additional level, an additional LED must be added to the display. Such an addition requires the redesign of the layout of the display module as well as that of the underlying hardware. Such a redesign is costly and therefore limits of the amount of flexibility of the remote control unit.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the industry to provide a remote control unit for a locomotive including a display module that alleviates at least some of the problems associated with prior art devices.
In accordance with a broad aspect, the present invention provides a remote control unit for controlling a locomotive where the remote control unit includes a manually operable control device, a brake setting display and a display controller in communication with the control device and with the brake setting display. The manually operable control device allows an operator to select a brake setting among a set of brake settings where the brake setting in the set of brake settings correspond to respective levels of brake application. The brake setting display includes an array of discrete display elements. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate a first display element of the array when a first brake setting is selected on the control device, where the first brake setting corresponds to a first level of brake application. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate a second display element adjacent to the first display element when a third brake setting is selected on the control device, where the third brake setting corresponds to a third level of brake application. The display controller is also responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate the first and the second display elements of the array when a second brake setting is selected on the control device. The second brake setting corresponds to a second level of brake application that is intermediate to the first and third levels of brake application.
Advantageously, the invention allows expanding the number of brake settings that can be represented on a remote control unit with a given number of discrete display elements without requiring the increasing the number of discrete display elements.
In a specific implementation, the array of discrete display elements includes display elements that are linearly arranged. In a non-limiting implementation, the display elements of the array are arranged along a straight line and the display elements of said array are light emitting diodes (LEDs).
In a specific implementation, the display module is a moving dot display. In this first specific implementation, when the first brake setting is selected on the control device corresponding to a first level of brake application, the brake setting display actuates the first display element and the second display element is de-actuated. Similarly, when the third brake setting is selected on the control device corresponding to a third level of brake application, the brake setting display actuates the second display element and the first display element is de-actuated. When the second brake setting is selected on the control device, corresponding to the second level of brake application, the brake setting display is operative to actuate the first display element and the second display element in an identical manner. It will be readily apparent that the first display element and the second display element may be actuated is different manners without detracting from the spirit of the invention.
In an alternative specific implementation, the display module is a bar graph display.
In a specific example of implementation the remote control unit is portable. The remote control unit includes a command generator responsive to the control device to produce a message for causing brakes of the locomotive to be applied at a level corresponding to the brake setting selected at the manually operable control device. The remote control unit includes a transmitter in communication with the command generator for producing an RF signal containing the message.
In accordance with another broad aspect, the invention provides a remote control unit for controlling a locomotive including a manually operable control device, a speed setting display and a display controller in communication with the control device and with the speed setting display. The manually operable control device allows an operator to select a speed setting among a set of speed settings. The speed setting display includes an array of discrete display elements. The display controller is to the manually operable control device to actuate a first display element of the array when a first speed setting is selected on the control device. The display controller is to the manually operable control device to actuate a second display element adjacent to the first display element when a third speed setting is selected on the control device. The display controller is to the manually operable control device to actuate the first and second display elements of the array when a second speed setting is selected on the control device, where the second speed setting is intermediate to the first and third speed settings.
In accordance with another broad aspect, the invention provides a remote control unit for controlling a locomotive including a manually operable control device, a throttle setting display and a display controller in communication with the control device and with the throttle setting display. The manually operable control device allows an operator to select a throttle setting among a set of throttle settings. The throttle setting display including an array of discrete display elements. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate a first display element of the array when a first throttle setting is selected on the control device. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate a second display element adjacent to the first display element when a third throttle setting is selected on the control device. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate the first and the second display elements of the array when a second throttle setting is selected on the control device, where the second throttle setting being intermediate to the first and the third throttle settings.
In accordance with a broad aspect, the present invention provides a remote control unit for controlling a locomotive where the remote control unit includes a manually operable control device, a brake setting display and a display controller in communication with the control device and with the brake setting display. The manually operable control device allows an operator to select a brake setting among a set of brake settings where the brake setting in the set of brake settings correspond to respective levels of brake application. The brake setting display includes an array of discrete display elements. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate a first display element of the array in a first manner of actuation when a first brake setting, corresponding to a first level of brake application, is selected on the control device. The display controller is responsive to the manually operable control device to actuate the first display element in a second manner of actuation when a second brake setting, corresponding to a second level of brake application, is selected on the control device, the second manner of actuation being distinct from the first manner of actuation.